viernes, 24 de marzo de 2017

The fast that’s pleasing to God



NAME OF PROGRAM: New Life
TRANSMISSION: Television Channels: María Visión and Jesus Christ Network
PRESENTER: Kimberly Kramar
TOPIC: The fast that’s pleasing to God
PROGRAM # 7
Live transmission: Monday, March 27, 2017
Time: Miami 8:00pm / Mexico 18:00pm / Colombia 19:00pm / Argentina 22:00hrs / Europe 1:00am
EMAIL: newlife@jcn.network
INVITED GUESTS: p. Modesto Jiménez and music ministry: Marco López, Margarita Araux, Rogelio Casasola, Cristy Villaseñor, Kiki Troia, MaryCarmen Barria

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  • Introduction
  • Introductory prayer
  • Presentation of topic
  • Closing prayer

Purpose of message:
Identify the true fast that pleases God and allow him to pray through us manifesting His greatness in our littleness.

To achieve this purpose we must ask ourselves, among other things, how to approach God in a true conversion, with a disinterested prayer, with a spirit closely linked to His perfect will? Avoiding food and excessive behaviors can draw us closer to God?

Understanding the true meaning of this practice we can live with more authenticity this time of Lent.


The fast that’s pleasing to God

Isa 58, 2 – 12 (v. 6) “Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? “Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you ]give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. “And the  Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

  • The practice of fasting loses its value if it is lived only as a ritual. On the contrary, it acquires meaning if it serves to glorify God and is accompanied by actions of solidarity in favor of the needy and oppressed.

"A fast that conceals selfishness and injustice is a reproachable farce"
Bible of America

"In the New Testament, Jesus indicates the deep reason for fasting, stigmatizing the attitude of the Pharisees, who scrupulously observed the prescriptions imposed by the law, but their heart was far from God. True fasting, the Divine Master repeated, is rather to fulfill the will of the heavenly Father, who "sees in secret and will reward you" (Mt 6, 18). He himself gives us an example by responding to Satan, at the end of the 40 days spent in the desert, that "man not only lives by bread, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Mt 4,4). True fasting, therefore, is intended to eat the "true food", which is to do the will of the Father (cf. Jn 4,34). If, therefore, Adam disobeyed the Lord's command to "not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," with fasting the believer wishes to submit humbly to God, trusting in his goodness and mercy. "
Benedict XVI, December 11, 2008, at www.vatican.va

Jn 3, 17 God sent his Son into the world. God did not send his Son to judge the world guilty. God sent his Son so that the world could be saved through his Son.

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Jonah and the fast proclaimed in Nineveh:

Jonah 3, 5 – 10 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.” When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

Proclaim a fast:

Joel 1, 14 Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly;
Gather the elders and
 all the inhabitants of the land
To the house of the
 Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.

Joel 2, 12 – 13 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“Return to Me with all your heart, and with
 fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.

Ezra 8, 21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 

Ester's fast:

Esth 4, 13 – 17 “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.

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The 40-day and 40-night fast of Moses:

Exod 34, 28 Moses stayed there with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses did not eat any food or drink any water. And he (the Lord)˼ wrote the words of the Agreement ˻(the Ten Commandments)˼ on the two flat stones.

The 40-day fast of Jesus:

Lk 4, 1 – 4 1Jesus returned from the Jordan River. He was full of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There the devil tempted Jesus for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during that time. When those days were finished, Jesus was very hungry.  The devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, tell this rock to become bread.”  Jesus answered, “It is written ˻in the Scriptures˼: 'It is not just food that keeps people alive.’”

• Fasting is preparation for the mission

Prayer and fasting:

Mark 9, 28 – 29 Jesus went into the house. His followers were alone with him there. They said, “We could not force that evil spirit out. Why?” Jesus answered, “That kind of spirit can only be forced out by using prayer.”

Matt 17, 19 – 21 Then the followers came to Jesus alone. They said, “We tried to force the demon out of the boy, but we could not. Why were we not able to make the demon go out?” Jesus answered, “You were not able to make the demon go out, because your faith is too small. I tell you the truth. If your faith is as big as a mustard seed, then you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there.’ And it will move. All things will be possible for you.”

Dan 9, 3 – 21 So all those men came and stood in front of the idol that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then the man that makes the announcements for the king spoke in a loud voice. (v. 21) So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tied up and thrown into the hot furnace. They were wearing their robes, pants, hats, and other clothes.

Fasting and the disciples:

Mk 2, 18 – 20 The followers of John and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and said, “John’s followers fast, and the followers of the Pharisees fast. But your followers don’t fast. Why?” Jesus answered, “˻When there is a wedding, the friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. They cannot fast ˻(be sad)˼ while the bridegroom is still there. But the time will come when the bridegroom will leave them. The friends are sad when the bridegroom leaves. Then they will fast. 

Acts 13, 2 – 3 These men were all serving the Lord and fasting. The Holy Spirit said to them, “Give Barnabas and Saul to me to do a special work. I have chosen them to do this work.” So the church fasted and prayed. They put their hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them out.

Acts 14, 21 – 22 Paul and Barnabas told the Good News in the city of Derbe too. Many people became followers ˻of Jesus˼. Paul and Barnabas returned to the cities of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. In those cities Paul and Barnabas made the followers ˻of Jesus˼ stronger. They helped them to stay in the faith. Paul and Barnabas said, “We must suffer many things on our way into God’s kingdom.”

Fasting and the saints:

2 Cor 12, 6 – 10 But if I wanted to boast about myself, I would not be a fool. I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t boast about myself. Why? Because I don’t want people to think more of me than what they see me do or hear me say. But I must not become too proud of the wonderful things that were shown to me. So a painful problem was given to me. That problem is an angel from Satan ˻(the devil)˼. It is sent to beat me and keep me from being too proud. I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. But the Lord said to me, “My grace ˻(kindness)˼ is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you.” So I am very happy to boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me. So I am happy when I have weaknesses. I am happy when people say bad things to me. I am happy when I have hard times. I am happy when people treat me badly. And I am happy when I have problems. All these things are for Christ. And I am happy with these things, because when I am weak, then I am truly strong. 

"St. Augustine, who knew his own negative inclinations well and defined them as" very twisted and very complicated knots "(Confessions, II, 10.18), in his treatise The Utility of Fasting, wrote:" I suffer, it is true, that he Forgive me I punish myself for Him to help me, so that I may be pleasing to His eyes, to enjoy His sweetness "(Sermo 400, 3, 3: PL 40, 708). To deprive oneself of the material nourishment that nourishes the body facilitates an interior disposition to listen to Christ and to nourish of his word of salvation. With fasting and prayer, we allow you to come to quench the deepest hunger we experience in the depths of our heart: hunger and the thirst of God».
Benedict XVI

Gen 2, 16 – 17 The Lord God gave the man this command. The Lord God said, “You may eat from any tree in the garden.  But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree you will die!” 

"Fasting already existed in paradise [and] the first order in this sense was given to Adam ... You should not eat, so it is the law of fasting and abstinence"
San Basileo

• The oppressions of sin and its consequences
• Fasting as a means to recover friendship with God: leave the "old Adam" and open the way to the Lord in the heart of the believer.

"Fasting is the soul of prayer, and mercy is the life of fasting. Therefore, let him who prays, let him fast; Who fast, let him have mercy; That he hearkens to the one who begs him, who, in begging, wishes that he be heard, for God hears the one who does not close his who pleads "
  San Pedro Crisólogo

The fast of Santa Catalina
"God so completely satisfies me in the Holy Eucharist that it is impossible for me to desire any kind of bodily nourishment." She also said: "His mere presence satisfies me, and I recognize that to be happy, it is even enough for me to see a priest who has just said Mass."
For seven years, St. Catherine of Siena did not take any food other than the Eucharist. In spite of that, Catalina maintained an active life during those seven years. Most of his achievements came during that period.

His fasting became a source of extraordinary strength. It is said that he grew stronger in the afternoon, after having received the Eucharist.

The Fast of Padre Pio
"Fasting and penance were customary practices. Fraile Pio embraced all forms of self-indulgence, always eating very little, on one occasion he fed only the Eucharist for 20 days and although physically weak he presented himself to classes with prelude joy. It was one of the best times of his life: "I am immensely happy when I suffer, and if I consented to the impulses of my heart, I would ask Jesus to give me all the suffering of men."
At http://www.corazones.org/santos/pio_padre.htm

Fasting and Abstinence - Lent:

"Fasting consists in making one strong meal a day. Abstinence consists of not eating meat. These are days of abstinence and fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. "

The time of Lent reminds us that the husband has been taken from us. Arrested, arrested, imprisoned, slapped, flagellated, crowned with thorns, crucified ... Fasting in the time of Lent is the expression of our solidarity with Christ. Such has been the meaning of Lent throughout the centuries, and so it remains today:

"My love is crucified, and there is no more fire in me that desires material things," as the bishop of Antioch, Ignatius, wrote in the Letter to the Romans (Ign. Antioq., Ad.
Aciprensa

St. Josemaria says:
«I give you two reasons
From all points of view, mortification is of extraordinary importance.
-For human reasons, because he who does not know how to dominate himself will never influence positively in others, and the environment will defeat him, as it flatters his personal tastes: he will be a man without energy, incapable of a great effort when necessary.
-For divine reasons: does not it seem fair to you, with these small acts, to show our love and respect to the one who gave everything for us?

And a third ...
Temperance is lordship. Not everything that we experience in the body and in the soul has to be solved in free rein. Not everything that can be done should be done. It is more comfortable to be carried away by the impulses they call natural; But at the end of that path there is sadness, isolation in one's own misery. "
Friends of God, 84




Teaching the Church - Fasting:

"Proclaim fasting" (Jl 1:14).
These are the words we heard in the first reading of Ash Wednesday. They were written by the prophet Joel, and the Church, in accordance with them, establishes the practice of Lent by arranging the fast. The practice of Lent, determined by Paul VI in the Poenitemini Constitution, is remarkably mitigated with respect to that of past times. In this matter, the Pope left much to the decision of the Episcopal Conferences of each country, which corresponds, therefore, the duty to adapt the demands of the fast according to the circumstances in which the respective societies are. But he recalled that the essence of Lenten penance is constituted not only by fasting but also by prayer and almsgiving (works of mercy). It is therefore necessary to decide, according to the circumstances, on what can be substituted the same fast for works of mercy and for prayer. The end of this particular period in the life of the Church is always and everywhere penance, that is, conversion to God. "
Aciprensa
"At the beginning of Lent, a time that constitutes a path of more intense spiritual preparation, the Liturgy again proposes to us three penitential practices to which the Christian biblical tradition confers great value - prayer, fasting and almsgiving - to have us To celebrate the Passover better and thus to experience the power of God which, as we will hear at the Easter Vigil, "dispels sins, washes away guilts, returns innocence to the fallen, joy to the sad, expels Hatred, bring harmony, bend the mighty "(Easter Proclamation). (...) Like Moses before receiving the Tablets of the Law (cf. Exodus 34: 8), or Elijah before meeting the Lord on Mount Horeb (cf. 1R 19.8), Jesus praying and fasting Prepared his mission, whose beginning was a hard confrontation with the tempter.
It is clear that fasting is good for physical well-being, but for believers it is, in the first place, a "therapy" to cure everything that prevents them from conforming to the will of God. In the Apostolic Constitution Pænitemini of 1966, the Servant of God Paul VI identified the need to place fasting in the context of the call to every Christian not to "live for himself, but for him who loved him and gave himself for him To live also for the brothers "(see Chapter I). Lent could be a good occasion to return to the norms contained in the Apostolic Constitution, valuing the authentic and perennial meaning of this ancient penitential practice, which can help us to mortify our selfishness and open our hearts to the love of God and our neighbor, the first And the supreme commandment of the new law and compendium of the whole Gospel "(Mt 22, 34-40).
Benedict XVI, December 11, 2008, at www.vatican.va

Fasting to control the appetites of the "flesh":

1 Cor 9, 25 – 27 All people that compete in the games use strict training. They do this so that they can win a crown ˻(reward)˼. That crown is an earthly thing that lasts only a short time. But our crown ˻(reward)˼ will continue forever. So I run like a person that has a goal. I fight like a boxer that is hitting something—not just the air. It is my own body that I hit. I make it my slave. I do this so that I myself will not be thrown out ˻by God˼ after I have told other people ˻about his blessings˼.

Closing prayer…: Gal 5, 22 But the Spirit gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness

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